on the last day before our winter break
the instruments waited patiently
for the children
who would soon come
to begin their day
by happily making music.
—
“music is nothing else but wild sounds civilized into time and tune.”
-thomas fuller
from the rhythm and music section of my baby book:
“loves to hear record player going or any music at 15 months.
attempts to dance to it and complains when music stops.”
not one part of this has changed except for my age.
—
“music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.”
-plato
Diana Turner sings her heart out
—
as the name would imply
this was not your ordinary theater performance
a story told in song
next to normal
is a tale that will touch your every emotion
when a family lets you into their living room and their lives
as they try to navigate their way
through the relentless storms that mental illness can bring
with a story and score that won a pulitzer and numerous Tony awards
I was not be able to turn my eyes or ears away from what was in front of me
with larger than life heartbreaking voices
pouring out their souls
on a tiny stage in this tiny 32-seat theater.
it was a very potent cocktail.
—
“make them laugh, make them cry, and back to laughter.
what do people go to the theatre for?
an emotional exercise.
I am a servant of the people.
I have never forgotten that.”
-mary pickford
—
credits: slipstream theater initiative, barbie weisserman, music theater international
with great expectations
i went
to my favorite detroit theater
in the beautiful fisher building
to see the broadway adaptation

of
one of my favorite
guilty pleasure movies
of the 80s
back then
i had
the perm
the leg warmers
the ripped up sweatshirt
the dance moves
the music
and
i couldn’t wait
to see
the
iconic scenes
and
dancing
and
to hear
the
music
once more
but
somehow
the live show
turned out
more like this
only worse
and it was
quickly apparent
that
my expectations
were
way too high
just like
my old perm.
—
both expectations and memories are more than mere images founded on previous experience.
– samuel alexander
—
image credits: paramount pictures, flashdance the musical, saturday night live,